Neuroscience Could Be the Key to Getting People to Wear Masks

Opinions about wearing masks and maintaining social distancing are sharply divided, largely along red and blue lines. Conservatives Republicans are the least likely to wear a mask, according to poll data from Pew Research. Some neuroscientists believe that lessons from their field, applied appropriately, could help break the impasse and persuade more people to follow scientists' recommendations. "A lot of these attitudes are really about your group identity," says Elliot Berkman, a psychology professor at the University of Oregon studying neurological responses to public health messaging. "Face masks are political, but it's also about groups. It's like, 'I'm a Democrat or a Republican, and that's how I think of myself. And I need to endorse this attitude so I can fit in with my group.'"